1. The Field of the Invention
This invention relates to book holders and more particularly to that class of holder adapted to be folded up when not in use so as to occupy a minimum amount of space.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art abounds with book holders of diverse construction. U.S. Pat. No. 3,476,348 issued Nov. 4, 1969 to G. H. Rustad describes an elongated bar having a groove therein to which is secured a rectangular rigid sheet material. A pair of curved arms extend outwardly from the ends of the bar and are secured at preferred angular relationships, in aligned position, relative to the plane of the rigid sheet, utilizing a pair of winged nuts, acting as clamps therefore. The curved bars are coupled to a pair of essentially U-shaped arms, each being equal relative to the curved arms. Thus, the Rustad apparatus may be folded up into a flattened condition and may have its bar and sheet portions disposed on an inclined level relative to the uppermost surface of a table or the like when the wing nuts are tightened and the arms are disposed having straight portions thereof residing on the supporting surface. Rustad does not provide any device suitable for carrying a book in an open condition such that the pages of the book will not automatically close when subjected to the forces of the wind and the like.
U. S. Pat. No. 3,550,895 issued on Dec. 29, 1970 to J. S. Guiles discloses a foldable desk consisting of interconnected front, bottom, rear, and top walls having parallel fold lines and increasing in width in the order named with a foldable flap at the free edge of the top wall secured to the front wall below its free edge. In the collapsed position of the desk, the top and front walls lie flat against the rear and bottom walls and in the erected position, the top wall is inclined downwardly towards the front and bottom walls and the free edge of the front wall is exposed as a retainer. Guiles though teaching a very inexpensive apparatus, which is foldable in nature, fails to provide for book retaining apparatus which maintains the book pages in open condition at selected pages thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,718,308 issued Feb. 27, 1973 to P. E. Hainault describes a book support having a horizontal tension member and a compression member and a hinged connection between the two about which they can pivot between a collapsed position, wherein one overlies the other, and an extended position, wherein the latter is generally upright and at an angle to the former. A second tension member is connected to both of the already mentioned members and is arranged to be extended in a taut condition between the two when they are pivoted to the extended position. The horizontal tension member has an end extending beyond the point of connection of the second tension member thereto. This end has a non-skid surface for engaging a book edge as the book is rested against the compression member, however, the non-skid surface is totally incapable of maintaining the leaves of a book in an open condition since the book cover engages only the non-skid surface whereas the pages of the book are superimposed over the non-skid surface and are free to turn easily due to a memory created in the book binding operation when the book has been fabricated.